


Don't Tempt Me

by Peetabreadgirl



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-07-12 08:48:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7094971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peetabreadgirl/pseuds/Peetabreadgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss and Peeta are unexpected roommates and end up with more than they signed up for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Don't ignore the E rating here if that's not your thing. :) This is a one shot. Thanks for reading!

When I walk into the kitchen, Katniss is already there, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

 

“Want some?” she asks, lifting the pot in my direction. That molten silver gaze I see in my dreams at night bores into mine. My eyes could care less about the dark, steaming liquid other than how it would taste on her tongue. Instead, they choose to feast on the expanse of her uncovered skin. Skin that’s tan and smooth and begging for my hands and my mouth. _Fuck_ , she is gorgeous in those tiny boy shorts she sleeps in, and that tank with those thin little straps and the low neckline that doesn’t even try to hide the tops of her breasts. I’ve never before wanted to be a piece of clothing so badly. Want some? _Yes, please_.

 

“Don’t tempt me,” I say, barely thinking with my brain.

 

“What?” she asks, confusion written across her gorgeous features. I clear my throat and think about my hateful mother or abandoned puppies. Anything to get my dick to settle down. Katniss blinks at me, then blushes, and I remind myself that we’re just accidental roommates and I need to keep it in check.

 

I shake my head. “No, thank you,” I say, reminding myself that I’m only talking about the coffee. “I’ll stick with tea.”

 

* * *

 

  
My man card is officially going to be pulled. I think I’m actually going to have to talk to Katniss about wearing something to bed other than those little sleep clothes. I can’t fucking take it anymore. I don’t sleep at night. I can’t focus at work or at home, _especially_ at home. I’ve started having to shower after I get my tea in the mornings so I can face my coworkers without a raging boner. It’s like she’s got this control over me and I can’t figure out how to release it.

 

I tried going on a date, but all I could think was how the poor girl’s hair was too blonde, or her smile wasn’t shy enough. Her eyes weren’t the right color and she had curls instead of a braid. I mean, who the hell wears a braid at twenty-one and why can’t I stop thinking about pulling on Katniss's?

 

I tried staying out until Katniss went to bed at night, but that was no good. It just exhausted me and I struggled to stay awake at work. Unless I thought about Katniss, and then I struggled not to sport a hard-on at the office.

 

I started getting up earlier, hoping to avoid her, but - _surprise!_ Katniss rises earlier than the sun over fucking Europe. Of course she does. Why would I think the universe wants me to have any peace? I can’t keep going like this, and I’m pretty sure a casual hook up with Katniss won’t fix what’s happening to me.

 

It’s not just about the physical. Yeah, she’s got a killer body. Her face is beautiful, hair long and shiny. She’s got gorgeous, natural tits and legs that would wrap perfectly around my hips. But she’s also kind and thoughtful. She’s got a sister she cares more for than anything else in the world. She has two jobs she works hard at to provide financial security for her as well. She leaves breakfast in the microwave for me in the morning, and even though she’s not the best cook, I inhale whatever she makes just because her hands touched it. Does it mean something that she thinks about me enough to leave food for me? I don't fucking know since the blood to my brain is in limited supply lately. Katniss really hasn't done anything to let me know if she feels it, too, other than being sexy, and that’s not a reason to take a chance at messing up our living arrangements.

 

I’m going to look like such a lunatic when I ask her to cover up. She’ll probably bolt and move out quicker than I’ve been able to get myself off to thoughts about her luscious lips wrapped around my cock. I groan and look down when my pants become snug. It’s thoughts like this that have kept me holed up in my room lately. They have to stop. I need to be able to be normal again.

 

“Katniss?” I call her name as I enter the kitchen. She’s by the sink, dressed in the barely there clothing I’ve come to expect since that morning she offered me coffee. She glances at me over the rim of her coffee cup, raising one eyebrow in question, waiting for me. “Can we, um, can we talk?” No backing out now.

 

“Sure. What can I do for you, Peeta?” My name falls from her lips like sweet honey and I try to blink away the image of her calling it over and over as I think about what she can do for me. Steady breaths are not helping. _Focus_ , _you horny little bastard._

 

“Have I done something?” she asks tentatively before I can say what’s on my mind. She looks so fucking vulnerable I just want to gather her in my arms and kiss whatever doubts are swirling in that pretty little head of hers away.

 

“No,” my voice cracks through the lie. She hasn’t done anything _bad_ at least. “Why?”

 

“You’ve been, um,” she clears her throat, “avoiding me.” Her eyes are downcast into her mug as the steam from the hot coffee rises in front of her face. “At least it seems like it.”

 

Oh, _fuck me_ , if my heart doesn’t shatter from the look of dejection on her face. Me staying away has hurt her and now I feel like shit. But I’m just not strong enough to be around her and not do something to ruin our fragile situation. We’ve only known each other for six months, and thanks to our mutual friend, Johanna, Katniss was tricked into signing a year lease on our apartment thinking I was female. The way Johanna described me as a ‘blond Betty Crocker’ definitely left my sex debatable. Katniss had been none too pleased when we came face to face, and _not_ in the way I’ve been imagining lately.  

 

“I’m sorry, I just-”

 

“It’s okay. I, I understand. You don’t have to say it,” she interrupts me quickly, turning around to deposit her mug into the sink, obviously deciding whatever I’m about to say she’d rather not hear.  

 

“What?” I’m confused. She tries to skim by me but I grab her arm, stopping her too close to me. She smells like heaven and just my hand on her arm feels amazing. My heartbeat races when she looks up at me. I can see her deliberating whether or not answer me. It seems like an eternity before she speaks.

 

“You’re not attracted to me.” Her quiet statement is like a slap to my face. What the hell? My stunned expression sends her into a ludicrous explanation. “I thought before, you… do you,” she takes a deep breath. “Do you remember the morning you said ‘don’t tempt me’?” I nod, holding my breath. I thought I’d blown it then and there.

 

“I thought you, you know,” she prods, looking embarrassed. “I thought you might be... attracted to me.”

 

 _What. The. Fuck._ Am I dreaming? Did she just say what I think she said? “Have you-” I start, trying to make sense of what she’s just revealed. “Have you been _trying_ to tempt me?” My eyes dart to her lips when she licks them nervously and rubs them together. Her hooded eyes lock with mine and I realize I may have groaned audibly.

 

She barely nods, but makes no move to pull her arm away. “Kiss me?” she whispers, and her silver doe eyes hold a heat behind them that lights me on fire. Fast. But I don’t crush my lips to hers and take her up against the kitchen cabinets like I want to. She deserves so much more than that. Katniss deserves fine dinners, bottles of expensive champagne, and a bed of fucking roses she’s so perfect.

 

I dip my head down and touch my lips to the corner of her mouth. She let’s out a soft “oh”, encouraging me to cover her lips fully with mine. It’s softer than what I’ve imagined, but there’s no less heat than if we were ravaging each other, which I fully intend to do if this keeps going the way I think it is.

 

Her tongue wets my lips deliciously, and that coffee she was drinking when I came in is my new favorite flavor. She sighs and my dick twitches just before I begin tasting every inch of her mouth. No corner or crevice goes undiscovered, and it feels like she's doing the same to me. We spend what seems like forever acquainting our mouths and lips and tongues with each other. Hands comb through hair and bodies fit flush together. If I had known Katniss wanted me as badly as I've wanted her, I wouldn't have tortured myself trying to stay away from her.

 

She pulls back too soon for me and when I finally open my eyes she's giving me one of those bashful grins from that sexy mouth that's been thoroughly kissed by yours truly. I grin back like a little school boy when I realize I just had my lips on that mouth. I plan to have my lips on hers again and again, as much as she'll let me.

 

“I am so fucking attracted to you. Do you know what you've been doing to me?” The look on her face tells me she, in fact, has no idea. I glance at my watch and groan, pinching the bridge of my nose hard enough to cause a headache. Work is gonna suuuuuck today. I want nothing more than to stay here with her. “I have to get going. When will you be home later?”

 

“I get off at four.” If I have anything to do with it, she'll be getting off at 5, 6 & 7 as well. “I don't have any plans tonight,” she admits, blinking up at me through long, black eyelashes that make it so hard to walk out the door.

 

“Can I take you out tonight?” I ask, my insides a ball of nerves, more so now that we've kissed than before.

 

“Okay,” she agrees and my heart soars. “So, what did you want to tell me earlier?”

 

Oh. Yeah, that's what started this whole thing. I guess telling her now is easier than before. “I um, I was just going to ask you to ah… cover up anything you don't want to be sharing,” I say timidly, explaining more with my hands than my words, gesturing at her barely clothed body and then my crotch. Usually I'm better at this.

 

She blushes and side eyes me in the cutest fucking way that makes my heart trip over itself.

 

“Got it,” she says, and disappears into her room. I leave for work with a hopefulness I haven't felt in months.

 

* * *

  
I feign a stomach ache so I can leave work a little earlier than 5. The thought of Katniss waiting for me is just too much. I feel like a kid about to get out of school for summer break - nothing really matters except that final bell.

 

When I breeze through the front door I call out her name, but then I hear the shower running, and God help me, the thought of her in there has my pants tightening faster than I can say her name. Which is surprising considering how many times I’ve jerked off the last two months. I think about taking care of myself now. I don’t wanna be two-minute Tommy later, but the water shuts off and I can hear the metal hooks of the shower curtain slide across the bar.

 

I go to the kitchen and busy myself cleaning the dishes. There’s only her mug from the morning and one plate, but I wash them slowly to give her time to get to her room. I’m not sure how I would hold myself together if-

 

“Oh!” Katniss’s surprise rings through the kitchen. “You’re home early.” I turn around even though I know I shouldn’t. She’s just in a towel, and my eyes fix on a few droplets of water that fall from her wet hair and trail between the valley of her breasts. If it wasn’t possible to be jealous of a drop of water before, it is now.  

 

I purposely turn back to the sink, scrubbing the same fucking dish three times in hopes that she’ll put some clothes on before I physically explode. “What time do you think you’ll be ready?” I ask without looking back. I don’t need to. Katniss in a towel is freshly burned across my memory and it’s not going away any time soon.

 

“Maybe thirty minutes?” she replies.

 

“Okay. I’ll grab a quickie-” the dish lands in a clatter against the sink when I realize what I've said. “Shower! A quick shower,” I correct myself, picking the plate back up. _Fucking hell, Mellark. You’re such an ass._ “I’ll grab a quick shower and then we can go. Is that okay?” I turn for the briefest of seconds and lock eyes with her. Her cheeks are flushed and she looks like she’s trying to conceal something she finds humorous. Probably my idiotic slip.

 

“I’ll be ready,” she says, and then scurries off to her room. When I hear her bedroom door shut I drop the dish in the sink, not caring one damn bit if it shatters to pieces, and brace myself on the counter. This woman will be the master of my demise, I’m sure of it.

 

I go through my normal routine in the shower, which includes jerking off so I don’t blow my load too quick if something happens later. When I emerge from my room, dressed and ready, I stop in my tracks when I see Katniss. Maybe we should stay in.

 

She laughs lightly, and tells me she’d love to but she’s starving. _Fuck_. I said that out loud. I’m starving, too, but the only thing that will satisfy my hunger walks on two damn fine legs in a fitted red dress, with a slit up her left thigh that’s so fucking high it could be on cocaine.

 

I follow her out the door, loathing the fact that we’re leaving, but rejoicing that she’s wearing _that_ for a date with me. It fits her like a second skin and the heels she has on are sexy and strappy, and just high enough that I still have to lean over a little to kiss her. Which I fully intend to do when the time is right.

 

When we get to the restaurant, I catch a glimpse of smooth leg as she steps out of my car after opening the passenger door. The slit of her dress is higher when she sits, and a flash of black lace taunts me. I tear my eyes away. She probably didn’t want me to see that. _Yet_ , I hope.  It’s going to make this dinner deliciously miserable for me, knowing she chose to wear those and wondering why exactly.

 

We talk over lasagna and shrimp linguini at my favorite Italian place. The lights are always dim and the exposed brick makes for an incredibly romantic ambiance. I sip my wine and relax, just enjoying spending time with her. She talks about her sister and her drunk Uncle she helped sober up, (mostly). She tells me stories of having to milk a goat, and bathe the family cat that she despises. She’s interesting, and funny and quirky, unlike many of the other women I’ve dated. Her laugh is so musical I could sweep her across the dance floor to it.

 

I laugh along with her and every now and then we lock eyes with no conversation between us. She looks away quickly every time, like she’s been caught staring. When we come close to the end of the meal, I can’t keep my mind off how that dress does incredible things to her breasts. The straps are thinner than the linguini I ate, and the neckline goes straight across her chest, pushing her breasts up and giving me an eye full. It’s no use pretending I’m not swelling in my jeans, and I hope to God I can get out of here without too much attention drawn to my crotch. I signal for the waiter to bring the ticket, then grab the last sip of my wine for something to do besides gawk at her.

 

Of course, the tart liquid goes down the wrong pipe and I start to cough uncontrollably. Katniss slides into my side of the booth and repeatedly thumps me on the back. With my eyes cast downward I can see the skin of her upper thigh and, holy shit, it’s not helping me calm down.

 

“Are you okay, Peeta?” she asks concerned. I hold my hand up, and when I think I can speak without choking I answer.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be fine. You just, ah, you look _really_ good in that dress.” I glance up to her sheepishly. If she’s paying any kind of attention she can see exactly what she’s doing to me. I’m not so much embarrassed by my reaction to her as I am nervous she’s not intentionally giving me the signals I’m picking up. She has this effect on me where I’m constantly second guessing myself around her. She swallows so hard I can see it, and my stomach sinks when I think I’ve made her uncomfortable.

 

“Would you… like to see how I look out of it?” My eyes blink heavily at the sound of her voice, soft and low and laced with desire, making my blood race. Her eyes have gone from sterling silver to gun-metal gray and the realization hits me like a motherfucking ton of bricks. She wants me.

 

I toss seventy dollars on the table, probably giving the waiter a bigger tip than he deserved since his eyes never once met Katniss’s when he spoke to her, but I can’t wait on his slower-than-molasses-ass to bring our check.

 

Katniss backs out of the booth and grabs her purse. We walk quickly out of the restaurant, my hand on her back because, fuck, I need to touch some part of her _now_. We don’t even spare the hostess a courtesy glance when she tells us to have a good evening, and I don’t think I’ve ever driven so fast in my life, or made as many rolling stops through intersections as I have on the drive back to our place. I park the car haphazardly. My door will probably have a dent on the passenger side in the morning but I’ll deal with that later. Right now all I can do is crush Katniss to me as we stumble up the walkway to the apartment. Thank God we’re on the first floor.

 

I can barely see where I’m going and I curse when I have to remove my lips from hers to unlock the door. She doesn’t stop, though, attacking my neck and ear with that amazing mouth. I jiggle the handle frustratedly and let out a growl. Katniss laughs against my neck and I’m pretty sure we’ll have to do this twice tonight. God, I hope she wants to more than once. One more tug and the lock gives way. I shove the door aside wondering why we didn’t just leave the damn thing wide open. Burglars? Who the fuck cares, just don’t take the bed. Or do. Whatever.

 

Her lips are back on mine as soon as we cross the threshold and slam the door. She backs me into it and presses her body against me. I am wound tighter than a python around its prey and I punish her lovely mouth with mine. When she whimpers against me I pick her up and carry her swiftly to my room, depositing her more carefully than I feel like on the bed. I want to take my time with her, but I’m not sure I have enough self control right now.

 

I toe my shoes off, watching her slip the tiny straps of the dress off her shoulders. “Wait,” I tell her. She stops, a flicker of something in her eyes, like she misread my signals. Fuck, no, she did not. “I want to undress you,” I clarify.

 

Katniss lowers her hands, placing her palms on the bed and leans forward to wait on me, taunting me with the most glorious view of her cleavage. I swear to God I rip my pants off at the sight. My shirt follows until I’m just in boxer briefs, and Katniss’s pupils are almost black with desire after her gaze runs the length of my body, pausing at the rock hard bulge below my hips.

 

I try to slow myself down and reach for her. She places her hands in mine and I pull her gently from the bed, flush against me. We both groan at the sensation. I dip my head down to kiss her shoulder, my lips following the strap on its way down her arm, doing the same to the other side. Then I reach around for the zipper I noticed earlier when we were leaving the apartment. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined the exact scenario I’m in right now. The buzz of metal sliding against fabric has my pulse speeding up, as if it wasn’t already racing for the finish line before. Anything moving that fast could win the fucking Grand Prix.

 

When my hand reaches the end of the zipper at the base of her spine, I tuck it down inside her dress and smooth it over her lace-covered ass, squeezing it once. She moans and swipes her tongue over my left earlobe. Just that - _just that_ \- tells me this won’t take long.

 

“Katniiiiiiiss,” I moan her name.

 

“Mmm?” she murmurs back into my ear. The sultry sound goes straight to my dick. I have to preempt how quick this is going to be.

 

“I’ve wanted you for months now,” I admit. I feel her  grin against my neck, as her lips slide down until she latches on to the skin just above my collar bone while her hands lightly scratch across my back and shoulders. I continue to squeeze and rub her ass, pressing my hips into hers without thought.

 

“It’s okay,” she assures me, her breath hitching when she feels my dick against her. “I’ve wanted you for months, too.” Oh, thank _God_. I kinda knew since she’d hinted at it this morning, but having it confirmed sets me into confident motion.

 

I step away from Katniss and let the dress fall, scrubbing a hand over my face when she stands before me with strapless lace across her breasts that looks identical to what I saw earlier. And she still has those strappy heels on. _Fuck. Me._ This woman is a goddess. Time for church.

 

My arms wrap around her to unclasp her bra, letting it fall to the ground and hungrily taking in her pert breasts. I hook my fingers into her panties and drag them down her legs, simultaneously dragging my lips through the valley of her perfect breasts. She groans an “oooooooh” and her fingers comb lazily through my hair.

 

My greedy hands skim her sides as I straighten, landing on her hips and our eyes meet. She wears a smoldering look that I’m certain matches mine, and I almost lose it when her finger dips below the waistband of my boxers. She pulls the spandex, smirking at me, and then lets go. They snap back to my skin in the most delicious sting. She mouths the word ‘off’ like a boss, and I readily comply, leaving us completely naked together except for Katniss’s heels. When she sits down and reaches for the straps, I tell her no.

 

“Leave those on.” My voice sounds like gravel to my own ears and I’m certain she can hear my desire. There is nothing hotter right now than a naked Katniss in ‘fuck-me’ heels.

 

Her back hits the mattress when I reach down and slowly being her right leg to rest on my shoulder. The skin of her calf is soft and smooth underneath my palm, and my lips follow the same path, kissing a trail from her ankle to the underside of her knee. My eyes never leave hers once, even though she’s bare before me. I want her to know this isn’t just a quick fuck. Katniss is something I have come to want every day of my life, and it's not gonna go away.

 

When I’m halfway up her thigh she pants my name. It’s sultry and needy and I know I’ll do whatever it is she wants. “Katniss.” I repeat her name with the same hunger she said mine.  She reaches out for me, arms beckoning me closer. I move her leg off my shoulder and place my hands on her thighs, sliding them up her body, past her hips, over her stomach to cup her breasts before I climb up beside her. She shifts her body into mine and immediately fuses our mouths together. I feel every bit of her pent up desire just as if it were my own. We’ve been living under the same roof, secretly wanting the same things and I wonder how the fuck I got so lucky.

 

“Condom?” she asks against my lips before her tongue dives into my mouth for more. I couldn’t answer if I wanted to, so I blindly reach for the nightstand drawer, which falls to the floor when I yank too hard, spilling the contents everywhere.

 

“I’ll get it,” she says before pushing away from me and walking around the bed in search of protection. Despite the emptiness I feel, I lay back and watch the way her naked body moves across the room. Her cheeks color when she notices my attention, but holy shit she’s just so perfect. Her raven hair frames her face and sets off her silver eyes perfectly; skin that seems to glow, even in my dimly lit room. Her hips flare out slightly below her slender waist and perfectly flat stomach. And don’t even get me started on her breasts that bounce just so with every step. I couldn’t look away if my life depended on it.

 

After she retrieves the condom, she crawls back on the bed, still in her heels, and straddles me, rolling the prophylactic down my straining cock. I close my eyes as her fingers graze the hard flesh, then fly open when I feel her warmth envelope me. “Oh, shit,” I hiss, planting my palms on her hips to keep her from moving just yet. “Just, just let me…” I can’t even finish the sentence because I have no idea what I want other than not to come in the next three seconds.

 

I breath deep and close my eyes again, trying to steady myself. Seconds later I feel her hands on my chest, then her lips brush mine. I open my mouth to hers and she takes full control of me, coaxing my tongue into action and rocking her hips against mine slowly. She swallows my groan and brings my hands to her breasts, where I rub slow circles around her nipples.

 

I feel her hips pick up speed as our mouths disconnect and she sits up fully. It’s glorious, the sight of her riding me, head thrown back, hair swaying, breasts bouncing, eyes shut tight and mouth gaping in pleasure. I’ll be hearing the sexy whimpers she's making in my dreams every night for the rest of my life.

 

I involuntarily buck my hips up, knocking off her rhythm and she stops, gazing down at me like I'm the desert we ordered and forgot to eat after we raced out of the restaurant.

 

“Let me,” she says, pinning my arms above my head and resumes a sensual rocking, making lazy circles against my hips. Even though I definitely thought I'd be the one pinning her arms down, I have to say this is just as good. Better even.

 

“Mmmm,” she moans, biting her lip and my eyes can't decide what they want to watch, flying furiously back and forth between her face, her breasts and where we’re joined. I let out a grunt, trying to make heaven last as long as possible, and her eyes snap open, fixing on mine.

 

“I'm… I, _oh!”_ Katniss whimpers, letting go of my wrists and palming her own breasts roughly. Finally! I can touch her again. My hands waste no time finding the heated skin of her thighs and sliding up to her wet pussy. I moisten my thumb with our mingled juices and begin rubbing her clit.

 

“Yes! _Yes!_ ” She cries out and I feel like I've struck gold. I tell her how much I love how wet she is, how beautiful she looks fucking me and how I can't wait for the next time I get to be inside her. Soon, she's gasping and trembling and clawing at my chest. Then she slumps over on top of me, kissing my neck and murmuring in my ear. She clenches her walls around me as I push and pull her hips across mine and it doesn't take long before I empty into the condom, digging my fingers into Katniss’s soft flesh and stifling a groan into her hair.

 

Katniss is still draped over me as I finally relax into the mattress, spent and feeling like I've just won the lottery. I cup her cheeks and bring her lips to mine in a lazy kiss. Part of her hair has come undone and hangs across her forehead. I push it back and tuck the strands behind her ear, then kiss the newly exposed skin of her eyelids, the tip of her nose, the apples of her cheeks. Anywhere my lips can reach, really.

 

“Thank you,” I whisper to her, watching a contented grin appear on her lips.

 

“Mmmm, thank you back,” she responds, sliding off to the side and rising from the bed. I take the opportunity to dispose of the condom and slip my boxers back on.

 

“Where are you going?” I ask when I see her about to leave..

 

“Back to my room.” She tells me shyly, glancing at the door like she's unsure if she really wants to or not. She's still in those heels and her arms are hugging her beautiful body like she's trying to hide from me. I sit down pat the space next to me. “Stay. Please?”

 

She considers my plea for a moment before sitting beside me. I cover her with the spare blanket I keep at the end of my bed.

 

“For how long?” she asks as I remove the strappy heels from each foot. I can tell she means that she doesn't want to overstay her welcome, but that's not even remotely possible. She could sew us together with a needle and thread and I’d be fine with it.

 

I want to tell her always, but instead, I settle the ball firmly in her court.

  
“As long as you like.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little story I like to keep open-ended in case I want to write more of it, but try to close the chapter up so you don't really need more if it takes me a while, (or never), to get to it. I wrote this for the birthday blog on tumblr after I was sent a prompt along the lines of where I wanted to take this story next. Hope you like it!

* * *

The end of my work day can’t come quick enough, so I skip lunch and leave early. I’m concerned about Katniss and I want to get home to check on her. She’s had some kind of stomach bug and she’s determined not to give it to me, so for the past few days she’s been sleeping in her own bed. It’s so hard to fall asleep without her back against my chest and my nose nuzzled into her hair, drawing in the hint of vanilla from her shampoo. God, I miss her next to me more than I’d miss my right leg if it were taken. 

We haven’t slept apart since the first night we had sex, three months ago. Sometimes the nights are full of the smell of sweat and the sounds of panting. Other times they're filled with nothing but contented sighs and even breathing. I love every minute we've spent together. So much that I can't see my life without her now. I haven’t brought the subject up to her, though. I’m concerned it may be too soon for her think about forever, and I don’t want the current situation to become the norm again. I don’t think I can handle it. 

I make a quick stop at the corner market to grab some ginger ale and electrolytes, then speed home where I park my car in my regular space and jog up to the door, anxious to see how she’s doing. 

The minute my foot hits carpet, the bag dangling from my fingers drops to the floor at the same moment my heart drops into my stomach. Instead of one set of gray eyes peering at me from the couch, there are two, and one of them belongs to a man. A man I can tell is taller than me, well built, and can have his pick of any girl he wants, including the one _I_ want. 

“What….?” Is all that comes out of my mouth, which stays open while my eyes are glued to Tall, Dark, and Broody’s arm protectively draped across Katniss’s shoulders. It hits me hard that she and I haven’t talked about being exclusive. I mean, I just assumed that sleeping in the same bed every night kind of took a person off the market, but I guess I was wrong. 

Anger that I had no idea was simmering just under the surface bubbles up. “Who the fuck are you?” Katniss’s eyes widen, and I realize I’ve probably just scared her, but I’ve just come home to a stranger draped all over someone I think of as my girlfriend, and I’m too pissed to care. 

He hugs Katniss to him quickly before releasing her and stands. I was right, he is much taller than me, although not as broad and thick as I am, and unless he’s a black belt or has a boxing title I’m unaware of, my high school wrestling experience will give me an advantage if this turns into a fight. 

“I’m the guy you’re going to have to answer to!” he barks, stalking over to me with wild eyes. I stand up straight, clench my fists and bow my chest to let him know he’s not intimidating me. 

“Answer for what?” I ask, louder and more than I intended to.

“Gale!” Katniss hisses from her seat on the sofa. My eyes drift to hers, and for the first time since I walked in the room I can see she’s been crying. What the fuck? I’m torn between wanting  put my arms around her and wanting to shake her to find out what’s going on, but Mr. Asshat is blocking my path. Somehow I think shoving him out of the way might result in a fist fight. I’ll have to deal with him first. 

“I’ll take care of this,” the guy, apparently named for his mother, dismisses her with a wave of his hand, which infuriates me further. If anyone is going to take care of Katniss, it’s me.

“Get out,” I growl through clenched teeth. I need answers from Katniss about why another man is in our apartment while I’m at work. 

“I’m not going anywhere until I find out what’s going on between you and Katniss.” 

He’s angry. So angry that there’s no explanation other than this guy is her boyfriend. I wrack my brain looking for signs that I missed. Clues I should have caught onto that would have given away the fact that she was already seeing someone. Why would she flirt with me? Kiss me? _Sleep_ with me night after night? It makes no sense, and I’m left reeling. 

“Peeta, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner-” Katniss begins, the guilt so evident in her plea. But the thundering sound of blood in my ears drowns out the rest of her apology. I feel completely blindsided, and I want to vomit. All of my lunch is sitting right there, at the bottom of my throat, just waiting to make an appearance as soon as the words are spoken out loud. 

The statements “Is this your boyfriend?” and “I’m pregnant.” fall out of our mouths at the same time. 

“What?!” we say in unison. That certainly isn’t what I expected to hear on a random Tuesday afternoon. 

The scowl on her face rivals the confusion I’m certainly wearing, but it doesn’t come close to answering my question of whether or not my sort-of-girlfriend has a boyfriend that’s not me. In fact, it makes me panic that the baby she's just announced is his, and that’s why he’s here. 

A fist connecting with my cheekbone halts all thought. Talk about being blindsided. Katniss screams and I fall back on my ass, then scramble up to my feet in case he comes at me again. 

“Are you sure this douchecanoe is the father?” Gale says snidely. I barely register the meaning of it, my temper flaring when he flings his next insult at me. “Surely you could have found a more intelligent guy to account for half your baby’s genes, Catnip.”

Something in me snaps when I realize the baby is mine. It could be relief, or fear of losing Katniss, or outright fury that this asshat is standing in _my_ home, insulting _me_. Whatever it is, it propels me forward and I’m on him in the flash of an eye. He lets out an ‘oof’ when my arms wrap around his waist and I lift him up, slamming his back into the carpet. 

Katniss shrieks, and we roll around as he tries to free himself, but I’ve got years of wrestling under my belt so I’m able to pin him to his stomach quickly, and bend his arm up over his back so that he’s writhing in pain. My cheek throbs but I don’t let go. 

“Who are you and what are you doing in our apartment?”

“Peeta, you’re hurting him!” Katniss cries, and I can tell by the waver in her voice that she’s near tears. I don’t really care that I’m hurting him. I want to hurt him, and when Gale doesn’t answer my question, I press on his arm, shoving up a little higher. He lets out a yelp and I smirk. Such a fucking meathead. A total waste of height and brawn. 

“Please, stop! He’s my cousin! Just, stop Peeta…” 

I let go of him and get to my feet, realizing that I’m hurting Katniss more than I am the douchelord laying face first on the living room floor. As much as I want to focus only on Katniss and process all of the new information bouncing off of me like rubber balls, I won’t take my eyes off of Gale. Not until he leaves. 

“Get up, and get out,” I tell him. I need to have a real conversation with Katniss, and that’s not happening with him here. 

When he reaches his feet, he shoots me a deadly look. It’s the same look I imagine I’d get from Katniss if she ever used it on me. They really do favor each other - from the color and shape of their eyes, to the dark hair and high cheekbones. His chin is different, but there’s no mistaking a relation there. 

“I’m not leaving her alone with you,” he says.

His assumption blinds me with rage, and I push him back against the wall, wedging my arm under his chin. “You think I would fucking hurt my girlfriend? My _pregnant_ girlfriend?!” I snarl the words in his face. 

“I don’t know you, and you’re acting pretty insane right now,” he growls back, pushing me off him. I stumble a little, but before I can lunge again, Katniss grabs my arm. 

“Please, _stop_ ,” she pleads, stepping between both of us. My eyes drift back and forth between her and Gale, finally locking with hers. She wins. I would have done anything for her when she _wasn’t_ carrying my child, and now that she is, I’m definitely a goner. I lift my hands in surrender and back up. 

“Alright, Gale, it’s time for you to go,” Katniss says. He starts to protest but she shuts him up with the same look he just gave me. I was right, it’s lethal. I make a mental note to stay away from the receiving end of it. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

“Fine,” he huffs before turning for the door. I bite back the age old retort about not letting it hit him in the ass on the way out. “But I’m calling you in an hour, and if you don’t answer, I’m coming back.” He gives me a pointed look before closing the door behind him.

All the breath I’d been holding whooshes out, deflating with the situation. I scrub my hands over my face and then turn to Katniss, surprised to see the look I swore to stay away from aimed at me. 

“What?” I ask innocently.

“You thought I was sleeping with my own cousin?!” 

“Well, I clearly didn’t have all the facts.” I go on the defensive as she narrows her eyes at me and folds her arms across her belly. My eyes are drawn there, and I want so much to replace her hands with mine, but I get the feeling she won’t let me touch her right now, so I finish explaining myself. “If the situation were reversed and you had no idea I was pregnant and some hot guy was there to ‘defend my honor’...” I use air quotes and roll my eyes at her asinine cousin. 

Katniss’s eyes widen and she purses her lips together before she snorts. “In what world are you pregnant and attracted to Gale?” 

“You know what I mean.”

“It’s not a reversible situation, Peeta,” she says wearily, her eyes downcast, and the statement hits me full force. It’s not reversible in theory, or in reality. The worried look on her face sobers me. She’s scared and upset, and it breaks my heart that she’s had to do any of this alone, even if it’s only been a few days since she found out. 

“Forgive me?” I ask, and she drags her silver eyes up from the floor to look at me through her dark eyelashes. It's like I'm gazing at the moon through slivers of ebony silk. 

I know we need to talk about this, but I don’t want to. Right now I just want to hold her. I hesitantly reach out, my fingers whispering along her arms, around her waist, slowly making their way to her back until I’m sure she isn’t going to slap me or push me away. She doesn’t return the embrace, but she does tuck her face into my neck and I can feel her warm puffs of breath skating down my chest. 

I slide one hand into her hair, massaging the base of her scalp until I feel her relax against me. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I whisper against her hair. Her body goes limp with what I presume is remorse, but I wait for her to answer. Assumption hasn’t earned me any favors today.

I feel the tears before I see or hear them. “I was terrified,” she says. When I start to pull away her arms wind around me, hugging me tight. “It’s easier to tell you if you aren’t looking at me.” 

“Okay.” Even though I’d love nothing more than to look at her beautiful face when we have this conversation, I want her to be comfortable enough to tell me everything she thinks she can’t. 

“This is just really fast, you know?” she says, and I nod, agreeing completely. It’s definitely quick, but I’m not running away. I’m more devoted now than I was an hour ago. And I was in it for as long as she’d have me. 

“We’ve never talked about anything exclusive. I mean, I’m pretty sure you’re not seeing someone else, but I don’t know if you even want that with me...” 

_ I do! _ The words are loud on the tip of my tongue, but I let her finish saying it all.

“...and this is just a huge step beyond a relationship, and we’re not ready, and maybe we never would have even made it to this point if we hadn’t slept together. It’s just, the more I think about it the less clear it all is, and I don’t even know if I can be a good mother!” When she starts to get upset again, I shush her with soft kisses and hushed words against her temple. 

I tell her everything I’ve wanted to say for the last three months. That she’s amazing, and beautiful, and she’s all I can think about when I’m away from her. That when we’re together my heart beats so loudly in my chest that I’m afraid she’ll hear it and run away scared. That I can’t imagine my life without her in it. That she’ll be an amazing mother and I would love nothing more than a little girl with silver eyes and dark hair to braid just like her mommy’s. I tell her everything is going to be okay, and that I’ll be there to take care of her. And our baby. Always. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! I love drama. Do you? If I wrote something else, what would you like to see happen? Pbg

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts! Favorite line? Best moment of the fic? Just throwing stuff out there in case you can't think of anything! Pbg


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